How to Make Fruit Graham

Co-authored by Emily Margolis

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Fruit graham is a popular Filipino dessert. It is also called "fiesta float" or "fruit cocktail." It is quick and easy to prepare and requires no baking whatsoever (only chilling in the fridge), making it perfect for those hot, summer days. It is typically made using a canned fruit cocktail, but you can also make it using other types of canned fruits as will—just make sure to cut them into small cubes first!

Ingredients

Fruit Graham Cake^{[1]
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2 packs (200 grams/14 ounces each) of graham crackers
4 packs (250-milliliters/8.5 ounces each) of all-purpose cream, chilled
1 can (396 grams/14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 can (836 grams/14 ounces) of fruit cocktail, drained

Fruit Graham Cocktail^{[2]
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1 cup (15 grams) of graham crackers, crushed
4 tablespoons (59 mL) of butter, melted
3 tablespoons (37.5 g) of brown sugar
½ cup (65 g) of confectioners sugar
³⁄₄ teaspoon (3.7 mL) of vanilla extract
2 cups (475 mL) of heavy cream
8 ounces (200 g) of fruit cocktail, drained

Yields 3 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Making a Fruit Graham Cake

1
Stir together the all-purpose cream and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Keep mixing them until they are evenly combined. There should be no streaks or swirls of condensed milk visible.
- The all-purpose cream must be chilled so that it is thick. If it is too warm, it will be too oozy and not allow the fruit cocktail to "float."
2
Lay the graham crackers across the bottom of an 8-inch (20.32-centimeter) square pan.^{[3]
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Research source} If you need to, break or cut the crackers along the perforated lines so that they fit. The entire bottom of the pan should be covered. Save the remaining graham crackers for further layers.

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3
Fill the cracks between the graham crackers with finely crumbled graham crackers. Take a graham cracker, and crumble it until it resembles a coarse grain—sort of like sand or coffee grounds. Use this to fill in any cracks between the larger graham crackers.^{[4]
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4
Spread a ¼-inch (0.64-cm) thick layer of the cream mixture on top of the graham crackers.^{[5]
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Research source} Use a rubber spatula to scoop up a generous amount of the cream mixture, and spread it across the graham crackers. The cream mixture should be thick, sort of like custard or pudding. If it is too thin and oozy, cover it with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge for about 15 minutes.
5
Add a layer of drained cocktail fruits followed by another ¼-inch (0.64-cm) thick layer of cream. If you are using a clear pan, be sure to push some of the fruits right up against the sides.
6
Repeat the graham cracker, cream, fruit, cream layer. Remember to fill in the spaces between the graham crackers with more crushed graham crackers. If you still have lots of ingredients left over, you can repeat the layers in your pan until you have none left. You can also fill up a second pan.
7
Garnish with extra fruits and/or crushed graham crackers. A popular garnish is to crush graham crackers into a fine crumble (like coarse sand or coffee grounds), and them spread them across the top of the cake in a grid-like fashion. Each "grid" equals on serving, and gets topped with a piece of fruit cocktail.^{[6]
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8
Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.^{[7]
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Research source} This will allow the cream to harden up and the flavors to blend together.
9
Serve the fruit graham. Slice the fruit graham with a sharp knife, and serve it with a spatula. Immediately refrigerate any leftovers.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Making a Fruit Graham Cocktail

1
Crush the graham crackers into a fine crumble. You can do this by pulsing them in a blender. You can also put them into a zippered plastic baggie, squeeze out all the air, and smash it with a rolling pin. You want the crackers to be finely crushed, like coffee grounds or sand.
2
Combine the graham crackers in a bowl with the melted butter and brown sugar, then set it aside. This will create the crust part of your cocktail and help it hold together.^{[8]
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3
Beat the heavy cream in an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Be sure to use the whisk attachment. This will take about 5 minutes.^{[9]
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- You can whip the cream by hand using a cold bowl and whisk, if necessary.
4
Mix in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until the sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream are all evenly combined.
5
Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a large tip. The shape of the tip does not matter. You will simply be using the bag to make filling the glasses easier. If you do not have a piping bag, you can use a plastic zippered bag with the bottom corner cut off instead.
6
Fill the bottom of each glass with ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) of the graham cracker mixture. Pack the mixture down using the base of a spoon or a smaller glass (a spice jar would be ideal). Save the rest of the graham cracker mixture for later layers.
7
Add a layer of cream. Place the nozzle of your piping bag inside the cup, and swirl it around while squeezing it gently. Stop when you can't see the graham cracker crust anymore.
8
Add a layer of fruit and another layer of cream. Spread some fruit cocktail pieces across the cream, then cover them up with another swirl of cream.
9
Top it off with another layer of crushed graham cracker and cream. Use a spoon or fork to spread a thin layer of the graham mixture across the cream. Do not pack it down this time. Top it off with a thick swirl of cream.
10
Garnish the cocktail with remaining fruit and a small piece of graham cracker. A simpler decoration would be a sprinkle of finely-crushed graham cracker and a maraschino cherry. You can also leave the cocktail un-garnished.
11
Chill the cocktail in the fridge until firm, then serve. Depending on the temperature of your fridge, it may take as little as 30 minutes to as long as 4 hours for the cream to firm up.

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